Kasparov ahead on points

Press, 21 October 1989, Page 29

Kasparov ahead on points

By

MICHAEL ROCKS

After his victory in the Ostende Grandmaster tournament of 1907, Dr Siegbert Tarrasch was declared "world tournament champion."

The title was not taken seriously since the reigning world champion, Dr Emanuel Lasker, did not compete and the award was based on just the one tournament victory. Final scores in the fourround all-play-all: 1 S. Tarrasch 12%/20; 2 C. Schlechter 12; 3-4 F. Marshall, D. Janowski 11%; 5 A. Burn 8; 6 M. Chigorin 4i/ 2 .

At the end of the World Cup series last month, the present world champion, Garri Kasparov, could arguably claim to be world tournament champion, if such a title existed.

The World Cup was limited to 25 players who were invited to compete in four of the six tournaments. Each player discarded their worst performance in the calculation of the over-all standings. The full list of tournaments and their winners were as follows: Brussels 1988, 1 A. Karpov (S.U.), 2-3 V. Salov (S.U.), L. Ljubojevic (Yug); Belfort 1988; 1 G. Kasparov (S.U.), 2 A. Karpov; Reykjavik 1988, 1 G. Kasparov, 2 A. Beliavsky (S.U.); Barcelona

1989, 1-2 L. Ljubojevic, G. Kasparov; Rotterdam 1989, 1 J. Timman (Hol), 2 A. Karpov; Skelleftea 1989, 1-2 G. Kasparov, A. Karpov. Translated into World Cup points, the top 10 players were: 1 G. Kasparov 83; 2 A. Karpov 81; 3 V. Salov 68>/ 2 ; 4 H. Ehlvest (S.U.) 68; 5 L. Ljubojevic 66'/ 2 ; 6 J. Nunn (Eng) 65%; 7-8 A. Beliavsky, N. Short (Eng) 63%; 9-10 J. Timman, R. Huebner (F.R.G.) 57%. Soviet players dominated the inaugural series, with Kasparov and Karpov almost in a class of their own, and that domination can be expected to continue after the staging of the first two qualifying tournaments for the next series.

The top six players from the present cycle are automatically included in the 1991-1992 series. The remaining 19 players will be found after the 1990 qualifying final, which comprises the top eight players in each of three qualifying tournaments plus a maximum of 10 players who have the highest average international rating from July 1988 to January 1990 inclusive and have not already qualified. With a prize fund expected to be at least fifty per cent greater than the SUSI.2 million at stake for the first

World Cup, interest in the qualifying tournaments has been tremendous.

At Belgrade, 258 players including 100 GMs and 78 IMs, battled for the first eight places. In such a large and strong field many star players found that their reputations counted for nought. After the dust of battle had settled, seven Soviets and one Yugoslav had booked their passage to the next round. Several months later in Moscow, a mere 128 players, of whom 85 were GMs, took part in the second qualifying tournament. As in Belgrade, seven Soviets took the top eight places, the exception being Nick de Firmian (U.S.A.). The drop in entries was because of the change in venue after both New York and Lugano failed to secure sufficient sponsorship to stage the event. The third and final qualifying tournament will be in Las Palmas. White: Taimanov. Black: Kaidanov, Belgrade 1988, Reti Opening 1 Nf3 d 5 2 b 3 Nf6 3 Bb2 e 6 4 c 4 c 5 5 e 3 Nc6 6 cxds exds 7 Bbs Bd6 8 Nes 0-0 9 Nxc6 bxc6 10 Be2? (10 Bxc6 RbB 11 Bxf6 Qxf6 12 Nc3 Bes 13 Nxes seems better) 10...Re8 11 0-0 RbB (A Rook with a great future) 12 d 3 Rb 4 13 Nd2 Rh 4 14 g 3 Ng4 15 Bxg4 Bxg4 16 f 3? (16 Qc2)

16 ... Rxh2 17 fxg4 (17 Kxh2 Qh4+) 17... Rxe3 18 Bf 6 (To cut off the Queen from h 4) 18 . .. Rh 3 19 Rf 3 (Not 19 BxdB Rexg3+ 20 Kf2 Rh2+ mating) 19 ... Rxg3+ 20 Khl gxf6 21 Rxg3 Bxg3 22 Nf3 Qd7, and White resigned. The notes are from “BCM.” White: Ruban. Black: Miles, Belgrade 1988, English Opening 1 d 4 d 6 2 c 4 e 5 3 Nc3 exd4 4 Qxd4 Nf6 5 b 3 g 6 6 Bb2 Bg7 7 g 3 0-0 8 Bg2 Nbd7 9 Nf3 Ncs 10 Qd2 a 5 11 Nd 4 ReB 12 0-0 c 6 13 Rabi Qe7 14 a 3 h 5 15 Qc2 h 4 16 bf axb4 17 axb4 Nce4 18 Nxe4 Nxe4 19 Nf3 h 3 20 Bhl Bfs 21 Qb3 Nxf2! (If 22 Kxf2 Qxe2+ 23 Kgl Re 3 24 Qdl Bxb2) 22 Rxf2 Bxbl 23 Bxg7 Kxg7 24 Qxbl Qf6 25 Nd2 (25 Qd3 looks a more stubborn defence) 25 ... Qd4 26 Qd3 Ral+, and White resigned. If 27 Nfl Rxfl+ 28 Kxfl Qal+ and mate next move. The notes are from “BCM.” 8 I F ® W 7 t 6 ay y % s 5 & 4 t w b s 3 W //7/ ’ A > abcde fgh

The study was composed by D. Joseph in 1921. White is to move and win.

Solution to No. 48 (8/IP6/ 24/SKBI/84b2k — Mate in 3). Try: 1 bBQ? Bf 22 QhB+ Kgl Key: 1 bBR Bf 22 Bxf2 Kh2 3 RhB++.

1...8b4 2 Rxb4 Kgl 3 Rbl++.

1...8xg3 2 Kxg3 Kgl 3 RblH.

The Fourth Otago C.C. Labour Day week-end tournament has been cancelled because of the withdrawal of the sponsor. It is hoped that the tournament will be revived next year. Entry forms for the Robert Jones Investments New Zealand Congress are available from the Canterbury C.C., 227 Bealey Avenue. The Wellington Chess Club are guaranteeing a minimum prize fund of $7OOO. Entries for the New Zealand championship, reserve championship and women’s championship close on November 15. Entries for the major open and the minor open (under 1300 rating) close on December 23.

The 1989 All-Canterbury Championship will be held at the Canterbury C.C. on three consecutive Saturdays beginning on November 25.